Garment-stretcher



Patented Nov. 22 I898,

A. B. PRITCH ETTE. GARMENT STBETCHER.

(Application filed Ma}. 2, 1898.) (NoModeL) /N VE N 70/? Amy/ M fl w 1:

A 77'OHNE),

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDRElV BROOKS PRITCHETTE, OF ELIZABETH, NElV JERSEY.

GARMENT-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,667, dated November 22, 1898.

Application file d March 2, 1898. Serial No. 672,273. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW BROOKS PRIT- CHETTE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Hangers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a light, inexpensive, effective, and easily-operated device adapted for hanging a skirt or other garment in small space and also allowing the garment and attached hanger to be folded compactly for storage in a clothes tray or drawer and permitting instant rehanging of the garment when removed therefrom. The hanger is specially designed to cause it to laterally stretch the garment hung by it.

The invention will first be described and then will be particularly defined in claims hereinafter set forth.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which similar numerals indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the upper part of a ladys skirt suspended by my improved hanger. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the same and also indicates by dotted lines the folded position of the hangerbail. Fig. 3 is a central transverse vertical sectional View taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4B is a vertical sectional view of one of the hanger-clasps.

This invention is susceptible of various modifications, one preferred construction being shown in the drawings.

The hanger comprises a bail of peculiar form and made preferably of elastic metal wire and two garment-clasps arranged one at each end of the bail and preferably having a swivel connection therewith. In the construction shown the bail 1 is swiveled to or in the end clasps 2 2,which are adapted to grasp and support a skirt 3 or other garment. At its center the bail has an eye or loop 4:, by which the hanger and clasped garment may be suspended from a nail orhook 5. At the points of junction of the suspension eye or loop at with the two oppositely-extending limbs of the hanger-bail 1 are provided suitable bearing-surfaces, which prevent edgewise overlapping of the bail-limbs next the eye under the weight of a garment hanging from the clasps. Expensive soldering of adjacent parts of the bail-wire next the eye 4 for this purpose'is thus avoided. I prefer to provide these bearing-surfaces by pressing or stamping the bail-wire fiat at 6 6, as more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The flat bearing-surfaces 6 also form reliable fulcra for the bail-limbs and the garmerit-hanging clasps thereon.

The bail may have various forms between its suspension-eye and the clasps to cause the bail to lengthen under the weight of a garment suspended from the clasps in order to laterally stretch the garment. To secure this result in a simple and effective manner, I extend the main portions 7 7 of the bail-limbs outward and upward from the parts 6 6 next the suspension-eye, and then the limbs are bent downward at 8 8 to the horizontal end portions 9 9 of the bail, upon which the clasps 2 2 are placed. The inclined bail portions 7 7 will approach a horizontal position under weight of a garment hanging from the clasps, and the entire hanger will therefore automatically lengthen and will laterally stretch the garment at the point of suspension (the waistband, for instance) instead of laterally wrinkling it, thus keeping the garment in the best possible smooth condition.

This compact garment-hanger, which is shown nearly full size in the drawings, is very easily operated. It is only necessary to fold a skirt double at the waistband and then apply one clasp 2 at each end of the folded band. The garment may now be suspended from a nail or hook 5, as shown in Fig. lot the draw: ings. Then the hanger is removed from the nail or hook, the bail 1 may be folded over upon the garment while the garment is still confined in or by the clasps 2 and as indicated by the dotted position of the bail in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. This allows the garment, with the hanger attached to it, to be folded fiat in small space in a tray or drawer and permits instant rehanging of the garment when it is again unfolded by simply swinging the bail'outward again to the fullline position. Trousers or other garments may be suspended easily and advantageously by this improved hanger, as will readily be understood.

The garment-clasps may have any approved construction. The clasps 2 shown comprise two opposing metal jaws or plates 11, each having two ears or lugs 12. The end parts 9 of the bail pass through openings made in the lugs 12 of the clasp-jaws, and on the bail, between the lugs, is placed a spring 13, which normally closes the jaws upon the garment. The clasps are opened to receive the garment by pressing their outturned upper ends toward each other. The clasp-jaws preferably have convoluted inturned gripping edges which will not tear the garment while retaining firm hold thereon. I may hold the clasps to the bail by heading the extremities of its parts 9 outside the lugs of the clasp, as shown in the drawings, or nuts may be used outside the clasps on threaded ends of the bail.

Means other than the illustrated clamps 2 may be used to hold the garment to a bail having limbs which lengthen under weight of the garment for stretching the latter, and the bail may be adapted for suspension otherwise than by the eye 1 within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A garment-hanger comprising a bail and clasps held to opposite ends thereof and comprising opposing spring-closed jaws, said bail having outwardly and upwardly extending limbs which lengthen under the weight of a garment suspended from the clasps and thereby laterally stretch said garment, substantially as described.

2. A garment-hanger com prising a bail having a suspension eye or loop and two outwardly and upwardly extending limbs, and clasps held to the outer ends of the limbs and comprising opposing spring-closed jaws said bail-limbs lengthening under weight of a garment suspended from the clasps and laterally stretching the garment, substantially as described.

3. A garment-hanger comprisinga bail and clasps held at opposite ends thereof, said bail having flattened bearing-surfaces at points between its suspension eye or loop and oppositely-extending limbs, said bearing-surfaces preventing edgewise overlapping of the baillimbs under weight of a garment suspended from the clasps, substantially as described.

4. A garment-hanger comprising a bail 1, having suspension-eye 4E, flat bearings 6, 6, and limbs consisting of upwardly-inclined parts 7, downwardly'ranging parts 8, and end parts 9; and springclasps having a swivel connection with the bail ends 9, substantiall y as described.

Witnesses:

FRANK L. ZABRISKIE, WM. 11. SLOAN. 

